Schefflera digitata
Schefflera digitata, commonly known as patē, seven finger or seven-finger, is a species of tree in the family Araliaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is widespread in the North, South, and Stewart Islands. It occurs in lowland to montane forests from sea level to. It prefers damp, shady parts of the forest and is common along stream banks. It is the only New Zealand member of the genus Schefflera, which has twelve other species in Oceania.
Schefflera digitata usually grows to heights of. The species is often confused with five-finger. S. digitata was first described in 1776 by the German naturalists Georg and Johann Reinhold Forster. S. digitata is pollinated by insects. The fruits are dispersed by fruit-eating animals, such as birds. S. digitatas timber was utilised by indigenous Māori to obtain fire by friction. The juice of the fruits was used as a dye by Māori, and European settlers used it as a substitute for ink. S. digitatas 2023 conservation status in the New Zealand Threat Classification System was "Not Threatened".
Description
Schefflera digitata is an evergreen and dioecious species of tree in the family Araliaceae. It reaches a height of up to tall, although more commonly tall. The trunk is branched and the bark is greenish in colour and ridged with scattered bumps. Its reddish, round petioles are up to long. Its petiolules are also reddish and are up to long.Leaves are palmately compound, usually with seven leaflets ; mature leaves are green above and paler below, while young leaves are shiny and purplish underneath. The terminal leaflets are the largest, up to long, with smaller side leaflets. The leaflets are broader toward the tip, pointed to blunt at the ends. The leaf margins are sharply toothed in adults and irregularly lobed in young plants. The leaves are similar, and are often confused with five-finger ; although the leaflets of P. aboreus are smaller, thicker and have larger teeth.
The inflorescences are found on hanging panicles, with numerous spreading branches which are up to long. The bracts and bracteoles are small. Each umbel contains up to ten flowers. The peduncles are long, but the pedicels are shorter. Flowers are small, at about in diameter and greenish-cream in colour. The petals are usually in diameter. Each flower has five filamentous stamens. Fruits are dark purple or violet when ripened, somewhat globe-shaped, and about in diameter. The seeds are long.
Taxonomy
Schefflera digitata was first described in 1776 by the German naturalists Georg and Johann Reinhold Forster in their book Characteres generum plantarum, which was made during the second voyage of James Cook. S. digitata is the type species of the genus Schefflera. It is the only New Zealand member of the genus Schefflera. There are thirteen species of this genus currently accepted by the Plants of the World Online taxonomic database. These species are native to islands in the Pacific: New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa and Vanuatu.Etymology
The etymology of S. digitatas genus name, Schefflera, is named in honour of the physician. The specific epithet, digitata, means 'divided into fingers' or 'finger-like parts'. It is derived from the Latin digitus meaning 'finger'. The species is commonly known as 'patē' and 'seven-finger'.Ecology
Schefflera digitatas seeds are dispersed by fruit-eating animals such as birds. Several birds have been recorded as seed dispersers, including bellbirds, kererū, kōkako, tūī, stitchbirds, and silvereyes. Pollination is achieved by insects. The caterpillars of the patē owlet feed on the tree. S. digitata also plays host to the New Zealand vegetable bug and lemon tree borer. S. digitata is also a primary host of the root parasite, Dactylanthus taylorii.Distribution
Schefflera digitata is endemic to New Zealand. It is widespread in the North, South, and Stewart Islands. The conservation status of S. digitata in the New Zealand Threat Classification System was evaluated in 2023 as "Not Threatened".Habitat
Schefflera digitata is typically found in lowland to montane forests, growing from sea level up to above sea level at maximum elevation. It is a shade-tolerant species, and it prefers well-drained and fertile soils, commonly establishing itself along streams in shaded areas. S. digitata can also establish itself as an epiphyte and on wet rocky outcrops.Uses
Schefflera digitatas timber was used by indigenous Māori to obtain fire by friction. There are no recorded uses of the timber by European settlers. The juice of the fruits was used as a dye by Māori, and Europeans used it as a substitute for ink. S. digitatas Māori names include patē, patatē, kōtētē, and kohi.Schefflera digitata had medicinal significance to Māori as well. S. digitatas leaves contain compounds of falcarindiol, which may be beneficial in treating skin fungus. The sap of the tree was used to cure various skin diseases. The leaves were also used to wrap newborn Māori babies to keep them warm until they began to perspire.
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